All I Want For Christmas
by wisdom-of-me
Summary: She loved that she'd spend Christmas with her family, it's just, what Annabeth really wanted was-  A drabble on Annabeth's Christmas without Percy. Inspired by the song 'All I want for Christmas is you'.


_**Disclaimer: **No, no, no! You've got it all wrong! I don't own Percy Jackson or FMA. But Christmas was totally my idea._

Annabeth sat at her window gazing out over the snow covered landscape that was San Francisco. It was Christmas Eve, which meant that tomorrow, Matthew and Bobby would wake everyone up at the crack of dawn to open presents.  
>Ppsh, ten year olds.<br>Annabeth didn't hate Christmas, she wasn't the Grinch or anything. But it was meant to be special and happy and she knew that this year it would be anything but.  
>She loved that she'd spend Christmas with her family, it's just, what Annabeth really wanted was-<br>"Annabeth! The phone's for you!" Susan called from downstairs.  
>"Okay! Coming" Annabeth replied as she dragged herself from her seat.<p>

She took the phone off her step-mum with a polite smile and concentrated on the conversation at hand.  
>"Hello, this is Annabeth speaking."<br>"Merry Christmas, Annabeth!"  
>She blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected this call.<br>"Merry Christmas to you too, Mrs Jackson."  
>"Please dear, Sally will do just fine. Are you looking forward to Christmas tomorrow?"<br>She smiled slightly. "Yeah, but I doubt I'll sleep past five."  
>Sally laughed from the other end of the line.<br>"Of course. I remember when I used to be woken up by Per... Hmm. Oh, Annabeth. I just remembered why I'm calling. Paul and I have decided that it's been awfully quite up here recently and we were wondering if you and your family would like to come up for New Year's?"  
>"That would be wonderful Sally" Annabeth thanked. "I'm sure my parents would agree."<br>There was a moment's pause.  
>"Annabeth, I hate to ask but, has there been any news?"<br>The cheerful conversation had suddenly dried up and left Annabeth stranded.  
>"I'm sorry Mrs Jackson, I'm trying but..." Annabeth sighed. "No, there hasn't been any news recently."<br>"Oh, well, contact me as soon as there is some, okay?"  
>"Immediately" she agreed.<br>"Well, I'll see you New Year's Eve then." Sally said.  
>"Bye Mrs Jackson."<br>"Bye Annabeth."  
>Annabeth hung up the phone with a sigh. She had hoped that she'd have more information by Christmas about-<br>"Annabeth?" her father asked as her walked into the kitchen.  
>"Yes?"<br>"Could I talk to you for a moment?"  
>"Sure, what about?"<br>Fredrick Chase looked a little... Let's say guilty.  
>"You know how I was meant to pick up the ham yesterday?"<br>"Yes" Annabeth replied in a low tone, understanding where this conversation was going.  
>"Could you please run down to the store and grab one for me?"<br>A small, innocent looking, smile appeared on her father's face and Annabeth rolled her eyes.  
>"Okay, I'll go now. I needed something to get my mind off..."<br>A lost and abandoned expression crossed her features.  
>His smile faltered as a wave of helpless guilt crashed down on Fredrick. He was her father gods-dammit! He was meant to stop that look from ever reaching his only daughter!<br>"Don't worry dad" Annabeth plainly ignored what was on both their minds. "I'll save you."  
>She grabbed her coat and pulled on some gum boots that were sitting by the front door. As she left Susan walked over to her husband and squeezed his shoulder.<br>"She's strong, she'll be okay" she said.  
>"Normally, yes. But how strong is she without him?"<p>

The bitter wind pushed Annabeth backwards as she trudged through the snow. It wasn't far to the shops, just a little over the hill.  
>She just had to get to the top first.<br>A couple of kids ran past her shouting and throwing snow at each other, but wasn't it a little late for that?  
>Apparently their mother thought so as well when a door opened and a furious looking woman threatened that Santa wouldn't bring any presents if they didn't get inside RIGHT NOW!<br>A thousand apologies spilled from their mouths as they rushed inside that warm house.  
>A small smile graced Annabeth's lips as she remembered another winter long ago with that seaweed brained son of-<br>"Hello Annabeth!" the shop keeper greeted.  
>"Evening Mr Elric" Annabeth returned.<br>"So, what can I get you?"  
>"Just a ham please, dad forgot."<br>Mr Elric disappeared behind the counter as Annabeth waited. Surely enough, moments later he returned with a bag, presumably with a ham in it.  
>"$15.75 please" he asked.<br>Annabeth handed over the money and took the bag.  
>"Thank you Mr Elric."<br>"Anytime Annabeth. Oh, and tell that friend of yours to stay out of trouble!"  
>She froze in the doorway.<br>"Annabeth?" the shop keeper asked. "Did I say something?"  
>Mr James Elric had only met Percy once. It just happened to be a time when a hydra was attacking the two of them. And like so many others he had never forgotten the boy's sudden appearance and disappearance from his life.<br>"It's just... He's been having some trouble with... Moving, recently" Annabeth stuttered as she tried to block the tears from flowing.  
>"That's sad to hear" James said. "Will you see him again?"<br>"By the gods, I hope so" Annabeth said as she pushed the door open. "Merry Christmas."  
>And she left before the confused shop keeper could reply.<p>

She managed to get about twenty meters from the shop before she dropped to her knees.  
>It was hopeless holding the tears back, they fell like snowflakes, each one filled with its own unique sense of pain. She'd been dreading all day that someone would finally bring up the boy she was trying so hard to push from her mind. But he was always brought up, the epicentre of the storm that causing her life to be crushed to ruins.<br>"We were permanent... WE WERE PERMANENT!" she cried out into the dark night.  
>"You promised" she rambled on. "You promised and already you broke it!<br>"I don't want anything else! Everything else is useless, it's all junk! None of it will serve me any use!  
>"All I want, all I've ever wanted, is YOU!"<p>

Unknown to anyone who truly cared, like the girl sobbing in the snow, a figure that had been sleeping for a few weeks stirred slightly. He was in a cave, he knew that much. And he didn't want to be here, that was the second thing he knew. And the third thing, it was strange, the third thing that he knew was that there was a person- a girl- that he had, really really had, to say sorry to...

* * *

><p><em>Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas<br>This is all I'm asking for  
>I just want to see my baby<br>Standing right outside my door  
>Oh I just want him for my own<br>More than you could ever know  
>Make my wish come true<br>Baby all I want for Christmas is you_


End file.
